Tailored french seam and method of forming the same



March 19, 1935. C. SEAMAN 1,994,966

TAILORED FRENCH SEAM -AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Original Filed May 2, 1935 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIA /l/ Patented Mar. 19, .1935

PATENT OFFICE TAILORED FRENCH SEAM AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Charles Seaman, Jamaica Estates, N. Y.

Originalk application May 2, 1933, Serial No.

Divided and this application May 6,

1933, Serial No. 669,693

3 Claims.

This invention relates to rolled seams of the type commonly called French seams, and to a method for forming the same. More particularly, the invention provides for joining two pieces of material by a tailored French seam which is folded to conceal the raw edges, the two pieces of material extending on opposite sides of the seam and having a single row of stitches extending entirely through the seam and through the exposed faces of the material.

An object of the invention is to form a seam of the above type.

Another object is to provide means for automatically folding and stitching a tailored French seam.

Still another object is to provide an attachment for folding the seam and for feeding the same to the needle of a standard make. of sewing machine.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 668,903, filed May 2, 1933, which has issued as Patent No. 1,949,762 for Sewing machine for making French seams.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages and the mode of `its operation, will be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a portion of a sewing machine, from which the material has been omitted for clearness, showing the folder applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the portion of the machine illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the folder.

Figures 5 to 8 are enlarged sections taken on the lines 5-5, 6-6, 7-7 and 8-8, respectively, of Figure 3 showing the folder and the position of the material therein.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the material removed from the folder, showing the method of forming the seam and applying the same to the needle.

Figure 10 is an enlarged section on the line 10--10 of Figure 9 with the material in position for stitching.

Figure 11 is a section similar to Figure l0 showing a modified form of seam.

Figure 12 is a bottom perspective view of the presser foot.

In the various figures of the drawing, like Vparts 5 have been designated by like reference numerals.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, the invention is shown as applied to a standard make 0f sewing machine having a base 10, carrying a cover plate 11, which is provided with a slot l2, 10 through which a toothed feed member 13, of Well-known form, is adapted to operate. The machine is also provided with a reciprocating rod 14, carrying a needle 15, and with a presser foot rod 16, carrying a presser foot 17, which extends under said needle and is provided with an aperture 18 through which the needle operates. The presser foot is adapted to hold the material in engagement with the toothed feed member 13,whereby the material is fed past the needle in position to receive the stitch in a manner well known in the art. A portion of the front 47 of the presser foot 17 is depressed as at 48 to form a positioning flange 49 which may be slightly rounded at the front as at 50 to receive and position the seam for stitching as will be described. A groove 51 extends from the aperture 18 in the direction of feed to provide clearance for the stitch.

For forming the rolled seam in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a folder` 19, having a guide plate 20, to which is secured a positioning plate 21 extending outwardly therefrom to form an ear 22, having an elongated slot 23, through which a screw 24 extends for securing the guide plate 20 to the base 10 of the machine. The positioning plate 2l carries a depending lug 25 adapted to seat in a corresponding hole 26 in the cover plate 11 to assist in maintaining the folder 19 in position. 'Ihe positioning plate 21 may be secured to the guide plate 20 in any convenient way, as by solder, or may be formed integrally therewith. The guide plate 20 is preferably mounted in an inclined position so as to more readily direct the material toward the path of the needle.

A pair of parallel spaced plates 27 is mounted on a bracket 28 which is secured to the guide plate 20, as by solder. The plates 27 extend from their point of support downwardly on opposite sides of the bracket 28. They also extend laterally there- 5o from and are tapered in the direction of feed, having their free ends 29 substantially adjacent the end of the presser foot 17. The plates 27 are spaced from the guide plate 20 and are twisted about a longitudinal axis approximately three- 66 quarters of a revolution for the purpose to be described. The plates 27 are adapted to receive contiguous edges of the -two pieces of material which are passed upwardly between said plates on opposite sides of the bracket 28 and to resiliently grip the material as it passes between said plates in the direction of feed. At their free ends 29 they are substantially horizontal so that the seam is caused to lie flat for stitching.

For directing the material upwardly between the plates 27, there may be provided a guide member 30 extending along ythe guide plate 20 from the bracket 28 in the direction of feed. The member 30 is preferably inverted V-shape 1n section, projecting upwardly between the plates 27 and tapering toward the free ends 29 thereof. The member 30 may be formed as part of the plate 20, if desired.

The folder 19 may be adjusted by means of the screw 24 and the slot 23, so as to properly position the same with respect to the needle. The elongated slot 23 permits the folder to pivot about the lug 25 for this purpose.

In the operation of the above-described device, two pieces of material 35 and 36 to be joined are fed to the guide plate 20i of the folder on opposite sides of the bracket 23 and are caused, by the V-shaped guide member 30, to bend upwardly between the plates 27 to form upstanding folds 37 and 38, respectively, as illustrated in Figure 5. A s the pieces of material 35 and 36 are fed through the folder toward the needle, the folds 37 and 38 are first bent over, as illustrated in Figure 7, and are vthen inturned and rolled, as illustrated in Figure 8, the fold 37 being doubled over to form a two-ply fold around which the fold 38 extends with the free edges 39 and 40 facing in the same direction4 and concealed by the rolls 41 and 42. The folds 37 and 38 are thus interlocked and, with the body of the pieces 35 and 36, form a five-ply seam.

The formation of the above seam is also illustrated in Figure 9, inwhich it will be noted that 'the folds 37 and 38 are first caused to extend upwardly at right angles to the material and are then rolled over through'approximately threequarters of arevolution, in which'condition the seam is discharged from the folder 19.` The roll 41 engages the positioning flange 49 of the presser foot which directs the seam under the needle 15 in a position to receive a stitch 43 adjacent the roll 41 and space dfrom the free edges 39 and 40. The needle l5 then pierces the seam to form a stitch extending through the five plies of the seam and through the exposed faces of the material (Figures 9 and 10). The stitch 43 extends through the double fold at a point spaced from the free edges 39 and 40, so as to considerably increase the strength of the seam, and is located near the roll 4l so as to prevent the seam from deforming, due to the lateral pull of the two pieces of material.

It will be noted that the stitching secures both pieces of material and also secures the concealed inturned folds. The above device accordingly provides for forming, in a single operation, a tailored seam within which all raw edges of the two pieces of material are concealed, and which is secured by a single row of stitches extending entirely through the seam. The seam presents a particularly smooth appearance when viewed from either side and is in condition for use without further stitching.

It is obvious that the extent of the rolled fold may be varied by changing the dimensions of the folder 1,9 and that the amount of roll is determined by the twist to which the folds are subjected within the folder. The fold may, for example, be modified, as shown in Figure 11, by reducing the size of the mold 37 so. that it involves only a single thickness. The two folds 37 and 38 then interlock, with the edges concealed, and may be stitched in the same manner as the seam above described. This type of seam may be desirable with certain kinds of material in which a double fold is not required to hold the stitches.

Vari'ous other changes will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. A greater or smaller number of plies may be formed in the seam by varying the amount of the longitudinal twist of the plates 27 and by varying the amount of Inaterial in the folds 37 and 38. By twisting the plates 27 an additional half revolution, for example, one or more additional plies may be folded into the seam. This may be desirable in certain instances depending upon the kind of Inaterial and the use to which it is to be applied. The folder 19 may be made as a part of the sewing machine, or may be made as an attachment for any standard make of sewing machine, to permit the above seam to be formed thereon.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed for purposes of illustration, the invention is not to be limited thereto, but only in accordance with the following claims when interpreted in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. The method of joining two pieces of material which comprises feeding said pieces to a needle from opposite 'sides of the needle path, rolling the adjacent edges in the same direction to form a seam having interlocked folds with the raw edges of both pieces adjacent one edge of the seam, and stitching a single row of stitches through said folds and through the exposed faces of both pieces of material at the edge of the seam opposite said raw edges.

2. A rolled five-ply seam joining two pieces of material, said seam comprising a reverse double fold formed on one of said pieces and an interlocking fold formed on the other of said pieces with the free edges of the pieces extending in the same direction, and means for securing said folds comprising a single row of stitches passing through all of said folds, said stitches being visible on both exposed faces of the material when the piecesextend laterally on opposite sides of the seam, said stitches being remote from the raw edges of both pieces whereby the stitches are prevented from pulling out at said raw edges.

3. A rolled ve-ply seam joining two pieces of material, said seam comprising a reverse double fold formed on one of said pieces and an nterlocking fold formed on the other of said pieces with the free edges of the pieces extending in the same direction and means for securing said folds comprising a single row of stitches passing through all of said folds at a point spaced from the free edges and adjacent the rolled portion of the double fold, said stitches being visible on both exposed faces of the material when the pieces extend laterally on opposite sides of the seam.

CHARLES SEAMAN. 

